Method of making a one-piece display device



Aug. 25, 1959 .J. s. LONGENECKER 2,900,667

METHOD OF MAKING A ONE-PIECE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Jan. 6, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. Jo/m J3 filgenecker 1959 .1. s. LONGENECKER2,900,667

METHOD OF MAKING A ONE-PIECE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Jan. 6, 1953 5Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORQ JBayhn .5: (onyenecker q/ZEWJ Aug. 25, 1959 J.S. LONGENECKER METHOD OF MAKING A ONE-PIECE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Jan. 6,1953 3 Shets-Sheec 3 INVENTOR. John J: Longenecker l tes atent 23%,657Patented Aug. 25, 1959 METHOD OF MAKING A ONE-PIECE DISPLAY DEVICE JohnS. Longenecker, Massillon, Ohio Application January 6, 1953, Serial No.329,841

12 Claims. (Cl. 1847.5)

The invention relates to display devices for displaying merchandise instore windows, show cases, upon counters and the like, and moreparticularly to a one-piece device formed from a single sheet ofplastic, or other normally rigid material, having predetermined cuts orslits therein, after which the cut or slit sheet is bent at variouspoints, as by heating or the like, to provide a one-piece display devicecomprising a plurality of horizontal shelf portions and connectedupright portions.

The display device made according to the invention may be formed ofvarious sheet materials which are normally substantially rigid but whichare capable of being bent to produce the desired effects. Preferably.these devices are formed of clear, transparent plastic sheet material,of one-eighth inch in thickness or greater, which are normallysubstantially rigid but which may be angularly bent at any desired pointby heating the material at such point sufficiently to permit it to bebent without otherwise changing the appearance or characteristics of thematerial.

Examples of plastic sheet material suitable for the purpose may beobtained under the trade names Plexiglas and Lucite. It is commonpractice at present to make display devices from such materials bycutting various shaped pieces of the sheet material and connecting themtogether by means of cement or the like. 7

In many cases rods or tubes of the plastic material are cemented orotherwise connected to various shaped shelves or other pieces of thesheet material, to form display devices.

Such practice not only requires considerable time and labor, but thecementing or other connection of the various parts together detractsconsiderably from the appearance of the finished article.

The invention contemplates the formation of a onepiece display devicehaving a plurality of horizontal shelf portions and connected uprightportions, formed from a single fiat sheet of material which may be ofsubstantially rectangular, polygonal or irregular marginal shape,depending upon the design of display device to be (formed, and havingone or more either angular or curved re-entrant, or generally spiral,cuts or slits therein, permitting the sheet to be bent perpendicularlyat various points to form horizontal shelf portions at different heightsconnected by integral upright portions.

The invention may be carried out by providing one or more of suchangular or curved re-entrant or spiral cuts or slits, each of whichextends through one margin of the sheet; or by providing one or more ofsuch cuts or slits, each of which terminates at both ends within themargin of the sheet; or by a combination of such cuts or slits some ofwhich extend through one or more marginal edges of the sheet and othersof which terminate at both ends within the margins of the sheet.

It is therefore an object of the invention to form a one-piece displaydevice from a single sheet of material having one or more re-entrant orspiral cuts or slits therein, the sheet material being then bent atvarious points to form horizontal shelves at different heights withconnecting, integral upright portions therebetween.

Another object is to produce such a display device from a sheet ofmaterial in Which re-entrant or spiral cuts or slits extend through amarginal edge of the sheet.

A further object is to produce a display device of the characterreferred to, formed from a sheet blank, in which the re-entrant orspiral cuts or slits terminate at both ends within the margins of thesheet.

A still further object is to produce such a display device in whichcertain of the cuts or slits extend through a margin of the sheet whileother of the cuts or slits are entirely within the margins of the sheet.

Another object is to produce such a display device formed from a sheetof material having certain cuts or slits extending through the marginsof the sheet and one or more other cuts or slits terminating at bothends within the margins of the sheet, certain of the cuts or slits beingsubstantially parallel to certain of the other cuts or slits andterminating in opposite directions, whereby the cut or slitted sheet maybe bent at various points to produce a one-piece display device ofconsiderable height as compared with the dimension of the blank fromwhich it is formed.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from thedrawings and following description, or which may be later referred to,may be attained by constructing the improved display device in themanner hereinafter described in detail and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a substantially square sheet blank having asingle re-entrant cut or slit extending through one margin of the sheet,illustrating the simplest form of the invention;

Fig. 2 a perspective view of a display device formed from the blankshown in Fig. l by bending upon the dotted lines shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 a plan view of a rectangular blank having a continuoussubstantially spiral slit or cut therein terminating at one end througha margin of the sheet, the spiral cut being made up of a series ofstraight lines perpendicular to each other;

Fig. 4 a perspective view of a display device formed by bending the cutsheet blank of Fig. 3 upon the dotted lines thereon;

Fig. 5 a plan view of a blank of irregular shape, having a single cut orslit therein terminating at one end through a margin of the sheet, thecut or slit being of irregular polygonal form;

Fig. 6 a perspective View of a display device formed from the blankshown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 a blank of substantially rectangular shape, having two oppositelydisposed re-entrant cuts or slits therein, each terminating at one endthrough a margin of the sheet, the re-entrant cuts being made ofstraight lines at various angles to each other joined by curved lines;

Fig. 8 a perspective View of a disply device formed from the blank shownin Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 a plan View of a substantially rectangular blank, illustrating asimple form of blank with re-entrant out terminating entirely within themargins of the blank;

Fig. 10 a perspective view of a display device formed from the blankshown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 a plan view of a blank with a plurality of reentrant cutsterminating entirely within the margins of the blank; A

Fig. a plan view of an irregularly shaped blank having curved spiralinner and outer cuts or slits;

Fig. 16 a perspective view of the display device formed from the blankshown in Fig. 15;

Fig. 17 a plan view of a rectangular blank haying a reentrant slit orcut terminating entirely within the margins of the blank, and other cutsor slits extending through a margin of the blank and located between andparallel with certain portions of the inside cut, so as. to provide ablank which may be bent and expanded or extended to form a displaydevice of considerable height;

Fig. 18 a perspective view of a display device of considerable heightformed from the blank shown in Fig. 17;

Fig. 19 a plan view of an irregularly shaped blank having curvedre-entrant cuts or slits and further carrying out the idea shown inFigs. 17 and 18;

Fig. 20 a perspective view of a display device formed from the blankshown in Fig. 19;

Fig. 21 a plan view of a substantially rectangular blank having bothoutside and inside re-entrant cuts or slits each made up of straightlines located at various angles to each other; and v Fig. 22 aperspective view of a display device formed. from the blank shown inFig. 21, showing a further carrying out of the idea shown in Figs. 17and 18.

Referring now to the embodiments of the invention illustrated in thedrawings, and first more particularly to the construction shown in Figs.1 to 8 which illustrate the simplest form of the invention in which adisplay device is formed from a sheet blank having a re-entrant or.generally spiral cut or slit extending througha margin of the blank, theinvention may be carried out by slitting or cutting a sheet blank ofplastic or other normally, sub. stantially rigid material and thenbending the cut blank at various points to provide horizontal shelves atditferent height connected by integral upright portions.

' In Figs. 1 and 2 is shown the simplest form of the in-. vention, thedisplay device shown in Fig. 2 being formed in one piece from thegenerally square sheet blank indicated generally at 25 in Fig. 1.

Three corners of the blank may be cut off diagonally, as indicated at26, 27 and 28 merely to produce shelves. of a desired design in thefinished display device. It should be understood that if substantiallysquare shelves are to be formed in the display device the blank 25 maybe exactly square and these cornerswould not be cut off.

The blank 25 has a re-entrant cut or slit formed therein comprising thestraight line 29 extending fromonemargin of the blank to a point abouttwo-thirds the distance to the opposite margin, the cut or slit thenextending perpendicularly, as at 30, to a point spaced from the nearestmargin of the sheet and then perpendicular, as at 31, in a straight lineparallel to the line 29, terminatingat a point within the margins of thesheet. A substantially. short out orslit 32 is formed perpendicular to,and communicates with, the portion 29 of.the re-entrant cut or. slitat'a point intermediate the ends thereof.

To form the display device shown in Fig. 2, the blank. 25, cut in themanner above described, is then bent at right angles along the dottedlines shown in Fig. 1. If the material of which the device is formed isa normally. substantially rigid plastic material, such as is sold underthe trade names Plexiglas or Lucite, the bending may be accomplished byheating the blank sufficiently at the 65 points where it is to be bentto permit bending of the. material at a 90 degree angle, and uponcooling it will resume its substantiallyrigid condition and remain inthe position to which it is bent. V I A i i v First, the corner portion,33 of the blankis bent down- 7 the portions 38 and 39 of the blank, onopposite sides of the bend 37, forming the depending legs 38 and 39.

Out-turned feet or flanges 40 and 41 may be formed upon the legs 38 and39 by bending the portions 40 and 41 of the blank on each side of theshort cut 32 along the dotted line 42. The portion 43 of the blank isbent upwardly along the dotted line 44, forming the upright portion 43.By bending the corner portion 45 of the blank outwardly along the dottedline 46, the shelf 45 is formed with cut-away corner 26.

An upward bend of the material along the dotted line 47 forms theuprights 48 from the portion 48 of the blank, and the corner portion 49of the blank is then bent outwardly along the dotted'line 50 forming thehorizontal shelf 49 with cut-away corner 27.

The portion 51 is then bent upwardly along the dotted line 52 formingthe upright portion 51 of the display device, and the terminal cornerportion 53 is then bent outwardly along the dotted line 54 forming thetop shelf 53 with cut-away corner 28.

The upper e dge. of the leg 39 may be cemented orotherwise,permanentlypattached to the adjacent edge portionof the lowershelf 35 to form a rigid support for the display device. Thus acne-piecedisplay device is formed frorn the flat sheet blank, by cutting andbending as above described, providing a plurality of horizontal shelvesat different heights for supporting and displaying merchandise withintegral upright portions between the shelves.

In,Figs.-,3 and4 isshown a carrying forward of the idea in which theblank indicated generally at 55 is providcdawithi are-entrant cut whichisv continued in the gcneraLform of aspiral made up of straight linesperpendicular. to one another.

As shown, ,thiscutor slit extends through one margin ofthe sheet blankasat 56- and is continued within the interior of the blank in a series ofperpendicular lines 57,- 58, 59-, 60,,and 61. in a generally spiralform, terminating at its inner end-substantially at the center of thesheet blank. The material at either side of the straight portion. 56, ofthe cut or slit may be notched as at 61 and 61a for a purpose to belater explained.

The blank 55, cut or slit as above described, may then beforrned intothe display device shown in Fig. 4, by bending along the various dottedlines shown on the blank. The central portion 62 of the blank becomesthe base 62 of the display device; the portion 63 of the blankbecoming,the.elongated horizontal shelf 63.0f the display device; theight hand upper corner portion 64 of the blan ebecomingthe angle shapedhorizontal shelf 64; and the lower right hand corner portion 65 of theblank becomes the angle shaped horizontal top shelf 65.

each; other, as indicated by thecut 67 extending through one margin ofthe sheet .blank 68 and then continuing at various angles, insubstantially spiral. form, as shown at 69,; 70;;71, 72,:73yand 74 andterminating in the straight line 75-within the central portion of theblank.

The blank; sheet, cut; in this manner, may then be folded upon theseveral dotted lines shown on Fig. 5 to form the display deviceof Fig.6, in which the central portion 76 of the blank. forms the base 76 ofthe .display device, the -top, ,interr nediat e and 'lower shelves 77,78 and 79 of the display; .devicebeing formed by the diagonal cornerpoptions- 7 7, 7:8: and .7901? the .blank respectively, the other i=3corner portion 80 of the blank forming the back leg 80 of the displaydevice.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a further carrying forward of the idea, inwhich the substantially rectangular sheet blank 81 is provided with two,non-communicating, reentrant, angular cuts 82 and 83, each extendingthrough a margin of the blank and terminating at its other end withinthe interior of the blank.

This blank, cut in the manner shown, may then be bent at the severaldotted lines, the central portion 84 of the blank forming the base 84 ofthe display device, the lower left hand corner portion 85 of the blankforming the top shelf 85; the portion 86 of the blank forming theintermediate, triangular shelf 86; the lower portion 87 of the blankforming the elongated shelf 87, and the back leg 88 of the device beingformed by the portion 88 of the blank, which has a notch 89 whichengages the notch 90 in the base portion 84. The small intermediateshelf 91 is formed from the upper left hand corner portion 91 of theblank.

In Figs. 9 to 14 are shown various examples of onepiece display deviceswhich may be formed from a single sheet blank having one or morere-entrant cuts or slits therein terminating at both ends within theinterior of the blank.

For instance, the blank shown at 92 in Fig. 9 may be substantiallysquare, with a re-entrant cut or sl-it 93 terminating at both endswithin the interior of the blank. When cut in the manner shown in Fig.9, this sheet blank may be bent along the dotted line shown thereon toform the display device shown in Fig. 10, the lower right hand portion94 of the blank forming the base or lower shelf '94, the upper left handcorner 95 of the blank forming the top shelf 95 of the display device,while the other two corner portions 96 and 97 of the blank form thesmall :square intermediate shelves 96 and 97 respectively.

In Figs. 11 and 12 an irregularly shaped blank 98 has two irregularlyshaped re-entrant cuts 99 and 100 formed therein, each terminating atboth ends within the margins of the blank. When out as shown in Fig. 11,this blank may be bent upon the dotted lines to form the display deviceshown in Fig. 12, the lower portion 101 thereof forming a rear leg 101of the display device, with the out-turned angular feet 102, the centralportion 103 of the blank forming the lower shelf 103 of the displaydevice with down-turned front legs or feet 104 formed from theprojecting portions 104 on the blank.

A central, substantially circular shelf 105 is formed from thesubstantially circular portion 105 of the blank, and the top shelf 106is formed from the upper portion 106 of the blank, the remainingportions of the blank forming uprights connectin. and supporting theshelves.

The display device shown in Fig. 14 is formed from the blank 107' shownin Fig. 13 in which two inner portions 108 are entirely removed by thesingle re-entrant cut 109 entirely within the margins of the blank, bothends thereof terminating at an intermediate portion of the cut, asindicated at 109a.

This blank, cut in the manner shown, may then be bent upon the dottedlines to form the display device shown in Fig. 14, the lower centralportion 110 of the blank forming the base 110 of the display device,while the upper central portion 111 forms the top shelf 111, a pinralityof triangular shelves 112, 113, 114 and 115 being located on each side,from top to bottom, and being formed by the portions 112, 113, 114 and115 respectively of the blank, the intermediate portions forminguprights connected to and supporting the shelves.

In Fig. 16 is shown a one-piece display device of abstract shape, formedfrom the blank 116 of Fig. 15 hav-' ing both exterior and interior cutsor slits of generally spiral shape, such as the cuts 117 and 118 locatedthrough margins of the sheet, and the cuts 119 and 120 terminatring atboth ends within the margins of the sheet.

By cutting the blank as shown in Fig. 15 and bending upon the dottedlines in said figure, the display device of Fig. 16 is provided, thelower portion 121 of the blank forming the lower shelf or base 121, theupper portion 122 of the blank forming the top shelf 122 of the displaydevice, while the substantially circular shelves 123, 124 125 and 126are formed from the portions 123, 124, 125 and 126 respectively of theblank, intermediate portions of the blank forming the irregularly shapeduprights of the display device.

In Figs. 17 to 22 is shown a further development of the idea, in whichdisplay devices of considerable height, as compared with the dimensionsof the sheet blank, may be formed by cutting or slitting the blank witha plurality of inner and outer cut-s, each having portions locatedsubstantially parallel to the other, at least some of which arere-entrant cuts, whereby the out or slit blank may be expanded orextended to considerable height.

The simplest form of this species of the invention is illustrated inFigs. 17 and 18, in which a rectangular blank 127 is provided with aplurality of straight cuts or slits, parallel to each other andperpendicular to the margins of the blank.

A triple, re-entrant cut 128 is formed in the blank, having spaced pairsof straight legs 129 and 130 and terminating entirely within the marginsof the blank, two straight cuts 131 and 132, each extending through amargin of the blank, being located between the pairs of straight legs129 and 130.

The blank 127, out or slit as shown in Fig. 12, may then be bent uponthe dotted lines shown in said figure so that the lower portion 133 ofthe blank forms the back leg 133 of the display device. If desired, thelower corner portions 134 of the blank may be slit as shown and bentbackward to form feet 134.

The central portion 135 of the blank forms the bottom shelf 135 of thedisplay device, the terminal portion 136 thereof being bent downward toform a front foot or leg. The side portions 137 of the blank form thevertical supports 137 of the display device, with the upper corners 138of the blank forming the small shelves 138, while the connectingportions 139 of the blank are bent upwardly to form the upright portions139 of the display device, with the shelves 140 at their upper endsformed by the portions 140 of the blank.

The connecting portions 141 of the blank are bent upward forming theuprights 141 of the display device, while the upper, central portion 142of the blank forms the top shelf 142. With such a construction aone-piece display device may be formed of a height nearly three timesthe height of the blank from which it is made.

This same idea is shown in Figs. 19 and 20, in which a blank 143 ofirregular shape may have both outside and inside reentrant cuts as at144 and 145 respectively, formed therein and arranged in the samegeneral manner as above described with reference to Fig. 17, so as toproduce a display device of abstract form as shown in Fig. 20, in whichthe lower portion 146 of the blank forms the lower shelf or base 146,with down-turned feet 147, formed from the portions 147 of the blank,and a top shelf 148 formed from the upper portion 148 of the blank. Theblank is bent upon the dotted lines shown so as to form the extendeduprights with intermediate shelves connected thereto.

In Figs. 21 and 22 is shown another variation of this form of theinvention in which the blank 149 has reentrant cuts as at 150 extendingthrough margins of the blank, and re-entrant cuts as at 151 locatedentirely within the margins of the blank.

When cut as shown, this blank may be bent upon the dotted lines shown inFig. 21 to form the display device shown in Fig. 22, the lower portion152 of the blank forming 'the base or lower shelf 152, the otherportions of the blank being bent to form the plurality of horizontalshelves at different heights connected to and supported by uprightportions.

The above areonly a few examples of a great multiplicity of designsofone-piece display devices which may be formedfrom a single sheet ofplastic or other suitable material by 'slitting and bending the same inthe general manner illustrated and described above.

It will beapparent that the presenti-nvention provides a novel processfor producinga-novel'type of one-piece display device, by formingre/entrant or substantially spiral cuts or slits'in a sheetblank andbending the same at various points to form aplurality; of horizontalshelves at different levels connectedan'd supported by integral uprightportions.

In.the foregoing description, certaintermshave been used for. brevity,clearness and understanding, but no. unnecessarylimitations. are .to. beimplied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior. art, becausesuch words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended tobe broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodimentsof the improved construction illustratedandcdescribed herein are'by way of example, and the scope of.the presentinventionis not limited to the exact details of construction.

Having now described theinvention or discovery, the construction, theoperation, and use: ofvpreferred embodiments thereof, and theadvantageous new and useful results obtained thereby; the new and usefulconstructions, and reasonable mechanical equivalents-thereof obvious tothose skilled in the art, areset forth in the a ended claims.

Although the invention is'primarily designed for the production ofdisplay devices for use in stores and the like, it should be understoodthat it is. also applicable .to the formation of "home decorations orsmall items. of furniture such as bric-a-brac shelves, -what-nots, endtables and the like.

It will be apparent that the cutting or slitting and bending of thesheet material constitutes. the entire basic designs produced. Animportant feature isthat the design represents an entire, one-pieceunit, formed integrally from a single sheet blank.

Iclaim:

1. The method ofiforming-a one-piece 'display device from a flat blankofznormally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consistingin cutting are-entrant slit in the sheet blank, said slit extending atleasthalf the distance'from' one edge. of. the blankto' the oppositeedge thereof and thenextendingtoward another edge of the blank and thenextending toward said one edge of the-blank at least one end 'ofsaid-slitterminating within the margins of: the blank, -and=then,bendingthe blank atvarious spacedtpoints uponlines at angles to variousportions of'said re-entrant slit-to-form a onepiece display devicehaving a plurality of horizontal shelves located at different-levels andintegral intervening upright supports.

2. The method of forming a one-piece display device from afiat blank ofnormally-substantially rigid-sheet material, said method consisting incutting a re-entrant the blank one end of said'slit terminating withinthe margins of the blank, the other/end of the slit extending through amargin of the 'blank, and then bending the blank at various spacedpointsupon lines .at angles to various portionsv of saidre-entrantslittoform :azonepiece display device having a plurality of horizontalshelves located at difierenulevelsand integral intervening uprightsupports.

'3. The method of-forming aone-piece display device from a flat blank:of normally-substantially rigid sheet material, said methodconsistingin' cutting a re-entrantslit in the sheet blank, said slitextending at least half the distance from one edge of the blank to theopposite edge thereofand then extending toward another'edge of the blankand then-extending toward saidoneedge of thezblankboth ends of said slitterminatingwithin the margins of the-blank, and then bending the blankat various-spaced points upon lines at angles'tovarious portions of saidre-entrant slit to form a one-piece display device having a plurality ofhorizontal shelves located at different levels and integral interveningupright supports.

4. The method of'forming a one-piece display device from a flat blank ofnormally substantially rigid sheet material, :said method consisting incutting a re-entrant slit of substantially spiral shape in the sheetblank, said slit extending at least half the distance from one edge oftheblank to the opposite edge thereof and then extending toward anotheredge ofthe blank and then extending toward said one edge of the blankand then extending away from said one edge at least one end of said slitterminating within the margins of the blank, and then bending the blankat various spaced points upon lines at;angles-to various portions ofsaid re-entrant slit to forma one-piece display device having aplurality of horizontal shelves located at different levels and integralinterv ning upright supports.

5. The method of forming a one-piece display device from a fiatiblankof-normally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consistingin cutting a re-entrant slit .of substantially spiral shape in the sheetblank, said.

slit extending at least half the distance from one edge of the blank tothe opposite edge thereof and then extending=t0ward another edge of theblank and then extending-toward said one edge of the blank and thenextending-away from said one edge said slit comprising a plurality ofstraight lines, at least one end of said slit terminating within themargins of the blank, and then bending the blank at various spacedpoints upon lines at angles tovarious portions of said reentrant slit toform a one-piece display device having a plurality of horizontal shelveslocated at different levels and integral intervening upright supports.

6. The method of forming a one-piece display device from avflat blank ofnormally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consisting incutting a re-entrant slit of substantially spiral shape in the sheetblank, said slit extending at least half the distance from one edge ofthe blank tothe opposite edge thereof and then extending. toward anotheredge of the blank and then extending toward said .one edge of'the blankand then extending away from said one edge said slit comprising aplurality of straight lines substantially perpendicular to each other,at least one end of said slit terminating within the margins ,of theblank, and then bending the blank at various spaced points upon lines atangles to various portions of said re-entrantslit to form a one-piecedisplay device having a plurality of horizontal shelves located atdifferent levels and integral intervening upright supports.

7. The method of forming a one-piece display device froin-a flat blankof normally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consistingin cutting a re-entrant' slit of substantially spiral shape in the sheetblank, said slit extending at least half the distance from one edge ofthe-blank to the opposite edge thereof and then extending toward anotheredge of the blank and then extending toward said one edge of the blankand then extending away from said one edge one end of said slitterminating within the margins of the blank, the other end of the slitextending through a margin of the blank, and then bending the blank atvarious spaced points upon lines at angles to various portions of saidre-entrant slit.

to form a one-piece display device having a plurality of horizontalshelves located at different levels and integral intervening uprightsupports.

8. The method'of' forming a one-piece display device from a flat blankof normally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consistingin cutting a re-entrant slit of substantially spiral shape in the sheetblank, said slit extending at least half the distance from one edge ofthe blank to the opposite edge thereof and then extending toward anotheredge of the blank and then extending toward said one edge of the blankand then extending away from said one edge both ends of said slitterminating within the margins of the blank, and then bending the blankat various spaced points to form a one-piece display device having aplurality of horizontal shelves located at different levels and integralintervening upright supports.

9. The method of forming a one-piece display device from a flat blank ofnormally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consisting incutting a plurality of re-entrant slits in the sheet blank, at least oneof said slits extending at least half the distance from one edge of theblank to the opposite edge thereof and then extending toward anotheredge of the blank and then ex tending toward said one edge of the blankat least one end of each slit terminating within the margins of theblank, and then bending the blank at various spaced points upon lines atangles to various portions of said re-entrant slit to form a one-piecedisplay device having a plurality of horizontal shelves located atdifierent levels and integral intervening upright supports.

10. The method of forming a one-piece display device from a flat blankof normally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consistingin cutting a plurality of re-entrant slits in the sheet blank, at leastone of said slits extending at least half the distance from one edge ofthe blank to the opposite edge thereof and then extending toward anotheredge of the blank and then extending toward said one edge of the blankat least one of said slits having one end extending through a margin ofthe blank, at least one other of said slits having both ends terminatingwithin the margins of the blank, and then bending the blank at variousspaced points upon lines at angles to various portions of saidre-entrant slit to form a one-piece display device having a plurality ofhorizontal shelves located at difierent levels and integral interveningupright supports.

11. The method of forming a one-piece display device 10 from a flatblank of normally substantially rigid sheet material, said methodconsisting in cutting a plurality of slits in the sheet blank, at leastone of said slits being re-entrant, and extending at least half thedistance from one edge of the blank to the opposite edge thereof andthen extending toward another edge of the blank and then extendingtoward said one edge of the blank certain of said slits each having oneend extending through a margin of the blank and the other endterminating between spaced legs of a re-entrant slit, and then bendingthe blank at various spaced points upon lines at angles to variousportions of said re-entrant slit to form a one-piece display device of aheight several times the length of the blank, and having a plurality ofhorizontal shelves located at different levels and integral in terveningupright supports.

12. The method of forming a one-piece display device from a flat blankof normally substantially rigid sheet material, said method consistingin cutting a plurality of re-entrant slits in the sheet blank, at leastone of said slits extending at least half the distance from one edge ofthe blank to the opposite edge thereof and then extending toward anotheredge of the blank and then extending toward said one edge of the blank,one end of at least one slit extending through a margin of the blank,and then bending the blank at various spaced points upon lines at anglesto various portions of said re-entrant slit to form a one-piece displaydevice having a plurality of horizontalshelves located at differentlevels and integral intervening upright supports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS560,957 Wilton May 26, 1896 1,894,902 Carmichael Jan. 17, 1933 2,109,777Kindred Mar. 1, 1938 2,113,432 Paige Apr. 5, 1938 2,157,794 McDonald eta1. May 9, 1939 2,589,022 Page et al. Mar. 11, 1952 2,690,203 DaviesSept. 28, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 360,932 Great Britain Nov. 5, 1931

